Chapter 413: Adidas Spends 30 Million Euros on Celebration Move, Comprehensive

Front page, headline of 442: Absolute control ability propels China's national team into World Cup knockout stage; reanalyzing Tom's contributions to Manchester United in the 17-18 season using national team match data.

"Evaluating Tom's ability solely by his 140-million-euro label as an attacking midfielder is absolutely wrong."

"He can pass, he can dribble, he can shoot—and yet fans still see only his passing. Many fans overlook his exceptional field vision and situational judgment because of his seemingly supernatural long-ball ability; these two traits are difficult to quantify in market value."

"In simple terms, when Tom is on the pitch, both Manchester United and China field 11.5 players—the extra 0.5 is Tom's phantom self, directing and controlling the game," said the 442 reporter.

The original article was extremely long—nearly 20,000 English words—with detailed data visualizations; Dongqiudi only excerpted a portion.

This tactical report is crucial: now Manchester United fans finally understand why their defense and attack were full of holes, yet they still finished second in the league and won the FA Cup.

Fuck, they played the entire season with half an extra player!

…

Returning to the hotel past 1 a. m., Tang Ye leaned against the elevator corner, his expression as if he'd just escaped a disaster: "You should've told me a leader was coming—I wouldn't have eaten sitting on a chair."

He'd barely picked up two dishes at the victory banquet when the vice premier walked in.

"I saw her in Moscow—she's still here?"

"How could she leave? We haven't been eliminated yet."

Feng Xiaoting laughed heartily.

Because what happened today felt like a dream to him—and to every Chinese national team player.

"But isn't this about you? Why were you sitting on the chair to eat? Eating while defecating?"

"Hahaha!"

"No no no!"

Misunderstood by his teammates, Tang Ye quickly explained: "I just felt more comfortable squatting."

Tang Ye rarely overthinks his actions—he does what he wants, just like when he ate earlier.

The elevator quickly reached the 15th floor; the players stepped out together.

"Hey, Tang Ye, remember what the leader said? If we make the quarterfinals, an even bigger leader will come—someone ridiculously high-ranking."

Walking backward, Tang Ye shrugged at his teammates, joking: "Let's talk about that in four years. Next match, we're getting crushed anyway. But if a leader does show up in four years, warn me ahead of time—I won't squat on the chair. Honestly, it's not a big deal—mainly, if the cameras catch me, my agent will be pissed."

"Hahaha!"

Feng Xiaoting laughed and waved goodbye to Tang Ye.

Tang Ye's words subtly implied China would qualify for the next World Cup in four years.

Arrogant? Maybe. But coming from Tang Ye, no one would dare criticize him.

The guy really has this ability!

As for the quarterfinals…

Feng Xiaoting shook his head.

In four years, Tang Ye will still be on the national team; at 23, he'll likely be even stronger than now.

But!

Whether he'll still be captain then is another question.

…

"Phew!"

Collapsing onto the sofa, Tang Ye's body relaxed with his mood.

The match was exhausting, but the aftermath felt incredible.

After past matches, Tang Ye always checked Dongqiudi immediately—but today, he didn't.

It wasn't that he didn't want to—he tapped the app dozens of times after the match, yet it never opened.

Honestly, based on experience, Tang Ye didn't need to open the app to guess what Dongqiudi looked like right now.

Hmm… I'll probably have a splash screen poster?

Yeah, it'll be cool.

Just don't use GGBond as my avatar—that's not a good idea, Tang Ye thought.

Besides Dongqiudi, his private messages had exploded: a WeChat from the vice premier's assistant, plus congratulations from club teammates.

Tang Ye replied to his teammates' messages with emojis.

He loved using emojis because they conveyed emotion better than plain words.

It was a brilliant invention!

As he slowly replied, the system notification came.

【Besides securing your first World Cup win outside a World Cup year, you've also advanced to the knockout stage outside a World Cup year. Though we don't know what you did to FIFA, something earth-shattering must have happened behind the scenes—what Chinese football is doing now is beyond human comprehension.】

【Miracle Reappears: You've obtained… Miracle Chest (Rule-Defying Edition)】

It's the Miracle Chest!

According to memory, this was Tang Ye's third or fourth time receiving a Miracle Chest.

This one, however, seemed different.

【Miracle Chest (Rule-Defying Edition): This isn't your first time controlling FIFA. Those capable of controlling FIFA deserve better rewards. This Miracle Chest has no restrictions—you may draw three random items, props, or templates of any quality, then choose one.】

【Miracle Slot Machine: If all three rewards are of the same type, then…】

The core principle remained the same: the Rule-Defying Miracle Chest simply had a higher ceiling but a lower floor than the standard version.

Luck played a bigger role!

"Hss!"

Rubbing his hands, Tang Ye went to the bathroom and washed his hands and face thoroughly.

【Confirm opening Miracle Chest (Rule-Defying Edition)?】

【Ding…】

The familiar yellow slot machine appeared; three blank slots filled with sliding items.

First item!

【Secret Extra Training (Beginner): Directly increase any attribute below 70 by 1 point.】

Bypassing training to boost attributes—this item suited Tang Ye perfectly.

But the problem: Tang Ye was already among the world's elite players; this item only worked on attributes under 70—useless to him.

Second item!

【Son Heung-min Crescent Kick Free Kick Template (Star）】

A free-kick template!

And one Tang Ye didn't have—a curved free-kick template, very valuable.

If the third draw wasn't good, Tang Ye would pick this Crescent Kick template.

【Tang Ye Smart Movement Template (Low Tier）】

To ensure Tang Ye recognized the template's origin, the system kindly labeled the club.

Template reference period: 2024 (peak).

Club: Beijing Guoan.

"…"

Tang Ye's Smart Movement Template was powerful, but for his current self, a proper set-piece template was far more useful.

After much hesitation, Tang Ye made his choice.

【You obtained Son Heung-min Crescent Kick Free Kick Template (Star）】

【Free Kick: 77 → 79】

【Passing: 90 → 90】

【Vision: 97 → 97】

The free-kick template boosted both passing and vision.

Most crucially, his free-kick attribute rose directly by 2 points—a significant improvement.

Tang Ye (40 years old)

【Ball Control: 87; Passing: 90】

【Shooting: 78; Header: 56; Free Kick: 79】

【Speed: 76; Stamina: 74; Physical Confrontation: 82】

【Defense: 73; Vision: 97】

Overall Rating: 85

With his free-kick attribute reaching 80, Tang Ye's overall rating rose from 84 to 85.

With the World Cup knockout stage approaching, Tang Ye is growing stronger rapidly!

…

The next day, Tang Ye slept until afternoon.

He hadn't planned to wake up—but Paul called him twelve times, forcing him to rise before he was fully rested.

"Hey, wait a minute—I'll be out in ten minutes."

"I'm already outside."

"…"

Stunned, Tang Ye walked barefoot to the window.

His agent Paul stood beside a black Mercedes.

Clearly, something urgent had happened—Paul wouldn't be this anxious otherwise.

According to Tang Ye's understanding of Pore.

Without surprise, this matter has something to do with money.

"Huh? Why is that? It can't be that serious."

Hearing the news from Pore, Tang Ye had been half-asleep, but now he was fully awake.

Pore told Tang Ye that he currently had no shoe sponsorship, but Adidas was willing to sign a contract with him for 30 million euros per year.

This price exceeds Nike's endorsement fee for Cristiano Ronaldo, which is very favorable for Tang Ye, and since he already wears Adidas, it's practically perfect.

However, Pore told Tang Ye another thing: besides signing him, Adidas also wanted his celebration gesture.

The three stripes during the sliding knee celebration.

"Of course it matters—you do three stripes when you slide, and Adidas has three stripes too."

Pore pointed to the Adidas pants he was wearing: "One, two, three—look, Tom, isn't that three stripes? Honestly, I didn't realize it at first until Adidas people explained it to me."

Pore looked at Tang Ye and grinned: "They said you were born for Adidas."

"..."

"So what do I need to do? Sell them my celebration gesture?"

Tang Ye thought about it.

If Adidas wanted his celebration gesture, he probably couldn't agree to that.

"Of course not—they'd actually want you to do it even more. But... I had a quick chat with them. You just need to tell reporters during interviews that the celebration gesture means Adidas."

"..."

Tang Ye: 6.

Adidas's move was truly slick.

Tang Ye's love for the three-stripe celebration was well known among fans.

If he now publicly claimed the gesture was tied to Adidas, it would greatly boost Adidas's influence.

"And there's one more thing... I remember you can do four or five stripes, right? If you sign with them, you won't be allowed to do four or five stripes anymore—because, well, four or five stripes aren't Adidas."

Thirty million euros was indeed a huge sum—over 200 million RMB, equivalent to the income from ten endorsements, nearly double his base salary.

"Then fine—I won't do four or five stripes. I think it's no big deal."

"No, it's a huge deal!"

Pore suddenly grew agitated, pointing out Tang Ye's mistake: "They want to sign you for one year at 30 million euros and buy out your celebration gesture entirely—there's no way that should be acceptable. Tom, let me tell you, without 50 million euros, this deal won't go through, because the celebration gesture is permanent."

Pore was thinking ahead: if Adidas bought out the copyright to Tang Ye's celebration gesture, they could still benefit from his fame even if they never signed him again.

Once the buyout succeeded, fans seeing Tang Ye celebrate would automatically associate the three stripes with Adidas!

"This... alright, Pore, you're the expert. I'll leave it to you—I have no problem."

Knowing he was only good at playing football, Tang Ye didn't dwell on these matters, only gave Pore a thumbs-up: "Go for it, brother."

"Haha, of course we've got to go for it!"

Dark circles under his eyes, but Pore looked energetic.

He had few athletes under him; nearly three-quarters of his time was spent on Tang Ye.

But Pore was definitely not losing out.

Tang Ye's projected commercial earnings from this World Cup already surpassed the combined total of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo—even adding Neymar wouldn't match him.

That's the power of Tom!

"Then there's Wanda and Mengniu..."

As he spoke, Pore pulled out files from his backpack.

Tang Ye skimmed through them, squinting: "Uh... maybe you could just summarize it for me? These sentences are too long and convoluted."

"Basically, several bonus clauses in your contract were triggered by reaching the knockout stage, and several companies will pay you half again as much."

"But we won't go far in the knockout stage, right? Won't they lose money?"

"How could they lose? The bonus clauses are profitable for them."

Pore opened his phone, and Tang Ye only then realized the guy actually used Weibo.

"You've already dominated the subway ads in Beijing and Shanghai—too bad you're not in China right now, so you don't know how it is over there."

"When you return home, take a look—everyone knows now that we've reached the knockout stage."

"Mm."

Tang Ye nodded slightly: "But I feel that just making it to the Round of 16 shouldn't earn me this much."

"I think you deserve it—and so do I."

Pore stood up and fist-bumped Tang Ye.

"There are so many agents in the Netherlands, but they're all blind—only I noticed you."

"But... Pore, you originally only signed me for one year, right?"

"Uh, that's not the point. Don't worry—I rely on skill, not luck. I just see what's in you."

Pore explained: "Those agents don't have my vision, so they can't earn money like I do."

Tang Ye laughed and sighed: "Keep going, Pore—I've got to keep going too. Next match won't be easy."

Pore placed his hands on Tang Ye's shoulders: "A world-class midfielder shouldn't fear any team."

Dongqiu Di pinned: The group stage of the World Cup has ended. The knockout stage begins on June 30 at 10 PM Beijing time, with the opening match: France vs Argentina. (Comments: 33,871)

Dongqiu Di pinned: China's knockout stage Round of 16 opponent is Brazil. Match time: July 2 at 10 PM Beijing time. (Comments: 95,234)

【China National Team: Playing Brazil? Me?】

【We're going all out now, guys—but honestly, I don't care much about this match. Just making it this far was beyond expectations.】

【Tang Ye can dominate Brazil's midfield—Wu Lei could try playing Brazil after another one or two years in La Liga, but the others are clearly far behind.】

【I can picture it: Tang Ye training Casemiro and Coutinho, then Brazil training all ten Chinese players...】

【Just go for it, guys—just seeing China's World Cup knockout match tickets on FIFA's official website is already worth it.】

The Chinese national team players were enjoying their one-and-a-half-day break. Far away in China, major advertisers updated their ads.

Ping An China: Ping An Group joins hands with the Chinese men's national team to advance to the World Cup knockout stage. Ping An guards you—no panic in the last-minute goal.

Ping An, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and others were sponsors of the entire team, along with Tang Ye's personal partners.

Mengniu posted ads on subway walls showing Tang Ye drinking pure milk.

Mengniu's ad designer was talented: in the poster, Tang Ye's head was transparent, inside which was a silver, box-shaped CPU, with a bird's-eye view of a football field in the background.

【The secret behind the super brain: Mengniu dairy—I've been drinking it since childhood.】

But Mengniu wasn't the most impressive—Ping An's personal ad for Tang Ye was the most brilliant.

It was a 15-second video used on video apps like iQiyi and Youku.

Boom!

In the video, Tang Ye crashed into a "Ping An China" billboard—fans who watched the match or even just highlights instantly recognized it.

Wasn't this the exact clip from when Tang Ye got stuck in the billboard after scoring the last-minute goal against Sweden?

The video had a specially designed slow-motion shot.

Beside the Ping An insurance billboard were ads for Heineken and Qatar Airways—but Tang Ye specifically crashed into the "Ping An China" one.

【Ping An China: Tang Ye's only choice】

In an interview, Ping An Group's vice chairman said:

"Why did Tang Ye, knowing there was a billboard ahead, choose to charge into it? Isn't it because he saw the billboard and remembered he had insurance?"

"We customized insurance for Tang Ye to use on the pitch and during training. Because he had insurance, he could confidently execute those brilliant dribbling moves and fight for national glory. And I believe Ping An China is the most suitable insurance for Tang Ye's fans."

"With protection, you can rest easy and act without fear—not just for professional athletes like Tang Ye, but for workers in all industries, the elderly, and children alike."

Repost: FIFA officially released the top five players in the group stage voting for the Russia World Cup. (Ranking not ordered.)

1. Cheryshev, Russia.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal.

3. Modric, Croatia.

4. Tang Ye, China.

5. Kanté, France.

(End of chapter)